The study finds a relationship between maternal diet and risk of immune-mediated diseases in the child. If an expectant mother consumes probiotics and fish oil supplementation, it may reduce the risk eczema and allergic sensitisation to food in the child.

What researchers wanted to study was the effects of specific dietary variations in early life on risk of immune-mediated disease. They did observational and intervention studies of maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation and infant diet during the first year of life to evaluate whether dietary exposures in early life influence risk of allergic or autoimmune disease.

They found that supplementation with micro-organisms (probiotics) during late pregnancy and breastfeeding may reduce risk of eczema, and fish oil supplementation during pregnancy and breastfeeding may reduce risk of sensitisation to food allergens.